Fragments of the Twilight
by Midnight Kayari
Summary: Ilia ventures outside of the safety of her home in Ordon Village to find Link when he does not return. The beast in Link is beginning to reawaken within him, and Midna waits in boredom within her own world. A search for the Twilight Realm has begun...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Why (Link)

Why? Why did she break the mirror? I just don't understand! Why, Midna, why? You were just by my side a moment ago, and now you are gone. Why didn't I tell you sooner? Why didn't I ever even say a word to you? Yet you understood me all the same. If only you didn't go back the way you came and break the door so you can never again return…

I loved you. How could you have left me? How could I have let you go?

Zelda took my hand as tears filled her eyes, but she did not let them fall. "Why?" she asked me, her voice full of sorrow, though she knew full well that I wasn't going to answer her desperate question.

I looked at Zelda, trying as hard as I could not to let the tears that stung my eyes to pour from them. I gestured towards the exit, and she nodded her head solemnly.

"Link," she said to me before we made for the exit. "You have surely proved your worth, child of destiny, bearer of the Triforce of Courage." She took a deep breath, trying as hard as she could to suppress her grief, and let go of my hand. "I would like to make you a knight of Hyrule, for you are surely much braver and more pure of heart than they. Do you accept?"

At her words, I was breathless. On my journey through Hyrule with Midna, I had noticed that a vast majority of the Hylian guards were lazy, weak, and full of cowardice. I imagined that if I could be among their ranks, I could change all of that. I could make the knights of Hyrule respectable again. But how could I accept Princess Zelda's offer when my heart was so full of sorrow?

"Link, please, in the name of my kingdom of Hyrule, I beg of you to become head of the Hylian Knights." She crossed her arms in front of her as if she had planned to do a curtsey but forgot to lift up the edges of her dress and bowed her head to me.

I reached my hand down to her and pulled her up again. When I knew she was looking at me, I nodded my head to accept her offer, but as I did so, a single silver tear was let loose. It dripped down my face and fell to the ground, just landing at our feet. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. I couldn't bear what Midna had done any longer. But I did not drop myself to the ground or make a sound; I just stood there and let the tears trickle silently down my face.

And soon, Zelda, too, began to cry. She cried the same way I did, holding her head proud as the tears streamed down her soft, delicate face.

When we were done with our tears, she spoke to me again. "May I borrow your sword?" she asked in a voice that rang of utmost authority.

I nodded and handed her the Master Sword. When she grasped it, she dropped her arm a little, as she was not used to wielding a blade as heavy as this one. When she finally had a firm grasp, she told me to get on one knee and bow my head. I did exactly as she told.

Then she raised the sword high over her head and lowered it slowly. "I hereby dub thee, Link of Ordon, a knight of Hyrule. Now, you must remember this vow for as long as you serve this country. Repeat after me," she commanded.

I nodded my head.

"A knight is sword to valor."

"A knight is sworn to valor." This was the first time I had spoken on my journey.

"His heart knows only virtue…His blade defends the helpless."

I repeated her once more.

"His might upholds the weak…His word speaks only truth." She lifted the sword again and raised it over my head as I repeated her for a third time. "His blade undoes the wicked." She rested the blade on my other shoulder as I repeated her once again. "And that, Link, is who you are now and shall forever be!" Her words echoed throughout the halls. She raised the blade again, flipped it around so that she was now holding the blade edge, and handed me the hilt of the sword.

I grasped it, and felt new warmth inside of me. I sheathed my sword and smiled. Though my heart was heavy, at least now I had a duty. And who knew? This could lead me to find the answer…the answer to that very important question that rested deep inside my soul…

Zelda and I left the Arbiter's Grounds and went our separate ways. "Though you are now a knight of Hyrule, I will not hold you to your bonds. You may roam free, and return to your home if you choose to do so, but remember that when my people are in need, you will be called on."

I nodded my head. My eyes were stern, and Zelda seemed to understand my silence just as well as Midna had. Midna… I shook the thought of her away to avoid another unwanted emotional breakdown.

Zelda used a spell she called Farore's Wind to warp away from this place. She seemed to understand without asking that I wanted to take the journey home by horseback and hard work. She understood that I neither wanted nor needed the rest. A knight, well, what a knight should be, is always ready to defend others from danger, and that means that they are always training.

I called Epona with the whistle that Ilia had made me. And then I suddenly remembered that I had promised to return to her. My heart sank. This feeling I have…is shared by both Midna and Ilia.

As Epona rode up to me, I remembered the times when I had become a wolf through Midna's powers and be able to speak to Epona. I got up on Epona and settled myself into the saddle. Midna…

I rode for two days without sleep, without food, and without rest. Epona had slowed to a trot, and I was exhausted as well. My thighs were aching from the motion of horseback riding.

Just as I saw the very edges of Faron Woods, the Postman ran up to me. "Mr. Link!" he shouted. "I have a letter of high priority from Princess Zelda!" He handed me the letter and scurried off into the distance.

"Zelda," I said to myself. I took the letter from him and began to read it. It read:

_Sir Link,_

_Rumors that Ganondorf has not truly been defeated are spreading like wildfire. Though it has only been a short few days since I witnessed with my own two eyes Ganondorf's demise by your own two hands, I can not help but to take these rumors into account. In other news, I believe I have found a way to restore the Twilight Mirror. When you finish with your business wherever you have decided to go after we parted ways, please return to the castle as soon as possible. I have an urgent mission for you, so come back post-haste._

_Regards,_

_Princess Zelda of Hyrule_

I folded the letter up and stuffed it into my bag and smiled to myself. "I'm sorry, Ilia, you'll just have to wait for me a little while longer." I took a deep breath and inhaled the autumnal scent that always seemed to travel on the winds of twilight. As the dusk set in, memories of Midna filled my mind. "I promise, Midna, I will find a way to see you again, if not only one last time. So that I can say goodbye."

I reared up on Epona, and she seemed to understand me full well. Energy was renewed within us, and we headed off at full speed towards Hyrule Castle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Why (Ilia)

Why? Why haven't you returned home yet? I just don't understand! Why, Link, why? I know that you had a higher duty to attend to than to stay by me, but now the darkness is gone and you have yet to return. Why didn't I tell you sooner? Why couldn't I bring myself, even after all of these years, to tell you that I love you? Why didn't I ever tell you that I wished you luck? If only you weren't the chosen hero then perhaps we could have been together and you might have returned to me…

I know. I'm being selfish. I fear something might have happened to you. Although you never said a word to me, I could understand you all along. I know that you were afraid of the fate that had been thrust upon you; I know that you were afraid to leave the safety of this place, but I also know that your courage was stronger than any of your fears. But why won't you come home, even just to say hello?

I rolled over in my bed, unable to fall asleep. It had been two days since I arrived back home along with the rest of the children from Kakariko Village. It's good to be home, but without Link, something seems like it is missing. The place is far quieter, the people are more subdued, and the days seem longer than ever. And we are all restless. He was a major part of my life… of all of our lives…and now he was gone.

Was he afraid of returning? Was he afraid of the peace now that he had faced with danger for so long? Or…was he afraid of me? I felt a pang in my heart as I thought of this possibility. After all, it was I who had forgotten him. Even with my memory gone, I should have at least been able to feel in my heart that he was no stranger. How could I have been so stupid? He must think that I couldn't have really loved him if even my heart had forgotten him!

I got out of bed, sick of tossing and turning beneath the covers. I slipped out the door and into the cold night. I needed to get some fresh air if I was ever going to figure any of this out. I went to sit down on the mesa that overlooked the entire village, when I felt a small hand tug at my long shirt.

It was Collin, one of the kids who followed Link like he was some kind of hero. Well, I couldn't argue, he _was_ a hero. And not just to me and the kids. "Are you okay, Ilia?" he asked me sincerely.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied to him. I didn't want to bother him in the middle of the night. Now that I thought about it, what was he doing up in the middle of the night? Surely his parents wanted him to be in bed at this hour.

He looked up at me with concerned eyes. "No, your eyes are sad. Something's wrong. Tell me about it, it won't bother me. Remember, I'm training to be big and strong like Link!"

At the mere mention of Link's name, tears filled my eyes. I dropped to my knees and started to cry. "Why?" I started saying over and over again. "Why won't he come back? Why won't he just visit for a single moment? Why? Why?"

Collin put his tiny arm around my shoulders and tried to console me. "Don't worry, Ilia, I'm sure he'll come back soon. He must have gone to see some of the friends he made on his journeys, so it's just taking him a little longer. Don't cry." He looked at me with his big blue eyes and tried his best to give me a comforting smile, but I could see that he, too, had worry in his eyes.

We sat there until dawn, with me crying and Collin trying his best to comfort me. Of course, my eyes had stopped crying long before the dawn, but my heart was still shedding tears like there was no tomorrow. I had never before had such an ache as this.

Then Collin said, "Why don't you come to sword training with me today? It might get your mind off of some of this."

Innocent though his offer was, the sword only reminded me of Link. He was the best swordsman in our village, perhaps even the greatest swordsman in all of Hyrule. But I had to take him up on the offer. If I could learn some fighting skills, I might be able to leave Ordon on my own to go and find Link. And maybe, I might even have gotten an important delivery job like Link had gotten so that I would be able to travel to Hyrule castle.

So, when Russl, Collin's father, walked out of his home, we both put on a smile and waved down to him. He waved back to us.

"Ready for some training, my boy?" he called to Collin. "And what about you, little lady? Would you like to join us for a morning of sword-swinging fun?" he called to me.

I nodded, and Collin shouted, "Be there in a moment, Father!" Before you could say, "Ordon Village," the two of us climbed down from the mesa that overlooked the village and stood in front of Russl.

"Ilia, you'd best go tell your father where you'll be. And what you'll be doing. I have no intention in getting you or myself in trouble, okay? We'll wait for you here." He smiled and pushed me away.

I ran as fast as I could back to my house. My father, the mayor, was still asleep in bed. I walked over to him and shook him slightly awake. He grunted. "Daddy?" I asked.

"Yes, Ilia?" he replied, still half asleep.

"Can I go to the woods with Collin and Russl for some sword training?"

"So you want to be big and strong, just like your old man, eh? Go ahead, I won't stop you. You're a big girl now; you can make decisions on your own." And with that, he rolled back to sleep.

I ran back to Russl and Collin and told them that my dad had said okay. We went off into the woods, and for the rest of the day, we trained together beneath the shelter of the trees.

When twilight had fallen, Russl said, "My, Ilia, you certainly are a fast learner."

"Yeah," added Collin. "You're already better than me! But that's only because you have stronger arms than I do! When I get bigger and stronger, I'm going to get better than you and just as good as…" he hesitated as he was about to say Link's name. He didn't want to see me cry again. Although I knew what he was really going to say, he blurted out, "Just as good as my dad!"

Russl said that since I had shown such a great adeptness at wielding a short-sword, he would let me go on a special delivery job. I was so happy.

"Where do you want me to deliver to?" I asked him, my heart filling with the hope that I could find Link.

"Hyrule Castle. The sword and shield that I had asked Link to deliver were stolen, and so they never would up being delivered. However, I have made a new set. You may feel free to practice with them until you get to the castle. How would you like that?" he smiled at me.

"I'd love to! Thank you so much! But how do I get there?"

"You can take my horse, Lilly. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to leave the stables."

"Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Russl. I'll do my best to deliver the weapons as soon as possible!" So, he handed me the Ordon Sword and Shield, and I ran home to pack my bags. I would do my best to get a good-night sleep so that I could be on my way first thing in the morning. I lie down in my bed and immediately fell asleep. This was the first time I had done that since I had regained my memory.

In the morning, I said goodbye to my father, took Lilly from the stables, and packed my stuff on her back. I saddled up and took off into the dawn. I couldn't believe it. I was leaving the village of my own free-will. I was going to see Hyrule Castle for the first time in my life. And I was determined to find Link, the love of my life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Why (Midna)

Why? Why did you let me break the Mirror of Twilight? I just don't understand! Why, Zelda, why? You, of all people, should have been able to see that I did not truly want to sever our connections. You, who were one with me for a time, who was like a sister to me, did not even try to stop me. Why didn't I tell you sooner? Why didn't I just tell you that I couldn't swallow my pride and needed you to help stop me? Why couldn't you see? If only you had foreseen what I was to do, maybe then you would have stepped in. And now I may never see you, or the man I love ever again…

Now I sit lonely upon the throne of my people, reminiscing the time I spent with you, and then the time I spent with Link. Oh, Link…

Throughout my journey through Hyrule with him, I did nothing but pick on him and push him through misery until the bitter end. I would scratch and kick him, and pull on his ears. And even though it was I who had caused him so much pain, he helped me still. Perhaps it was that which made me ease up on my sour ways. Perhaps it was the undying trust that melted my heart. And it was because of his sapphire blue eyes, the eyes of a beast, that I had given my heart to someone who would never be able to return the favor.

And I tried to save him after we defeated the pig-like Ganon; I even sacrificed my own life to save him. He didn't want me to, he wanted me to be safe, but I couldn't bring myself to accept the return of his affections. Not while I had yet to show him my true self. Not while I had yet to make up for all of my mistakes.

But now that I am in my true form, now that I am free, I have torn myself from him. I have torn myself from you.

Though I tried to tell myself it was nothing but admiration, I know in my heart that it was something more. I know I loved him. And I almost told him, too. But I chickened out at the last moment. I couldn't tell him, not with you there, Zelda. You who shared the same fate as him. You who shared the light with him. You who treated me like a sister for all of these years. I could tell that you had felt something for him, too, and I couldn't bring myself to take away your chance at happiness. He was your knight in shining armor just as much as he was mine, but you deserve him more than I. For though your kingdom was taken over, you did not cower and flee as I did. You stayed to watch over your people, and you didn't abandon them to die. And he is the man you rightfully deserve, for he is as noble and beautiful, if not more so, than you.

Maybe that was the real reason I shattered the Mirror of Twilight. Maybe it was because I couldn't keep running back to a world in which I did not belong to just to see you and him. And maybe it was to keep myself from having another chance to slip up and tell him what he does not need to know. And I know for a fact that it was to separate the essences of evil that had been fused into the mirror itself. But still, I wish that you had stopped me. I wish that with all of my heart.

I sit here now, twirling my orange-red hair through my long fingers. It's almost hard to believe that I'm really me again. It was so long ago to me that I was in my Impish form; so long ago that you helped me along the way; so long ago that I had found him in his greatest hour of need. It was all because of you, and you couldn't stop me from making the biggest mistake in my life. I thought that our bond was stronger than that. I guess I was wrong.

Suddenly, one of my people entered the throne room. Finally, some excitement, or so I had hoped. It has been a good two days at least since that day, and everything has been quiet here. I pray it has been just as peaceful in your world. You deserve it, and so does he. Anyways, the Twilit boy who had entered the room was holding something in his hands.

"Your Highness!" he exclaimed, holding out his hand to me.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"I believe it is a single shard of what once was the Mirror of Twilight. It was found beneath the metal of where the mirror once rested."

I stepped down from my throne and examined the shining shard. It was, indeed, a piece of the mirror. If that was true, then perhaps there was still hope that I could see you and Link once more. Hope bubbled up inside of my heart. But then again, I couldn't let temptation overcome me. There was a reason why I had shattered the mirror in the first place, after all. My place was here, not in the light. And besides, this was only a single fragment. I would need to find all of the pieces in order to restore the mirror.

"So?" inquired the Twilit boy.

"Yes, it is a fragment of the mirror," I replied. I inspected it closer. Through the gleaming reflection, I could see that a dark spirit was lurking within. No, there was nothing wrong with darkness, after all, my people and I were part of it, but this was an evil kind of darkness. Like the kind of darkness that Zant and Ganondorf had. It was unnatural, not the serene beauty of my world's darkness. I stepped back from it, worried that the dark spirit might pull me in.

"What would you like me to do with it, your highness?"

"Burn it," I commanded.

The boy's face was filled with sorrow, as if he thought that I had just told him to throw his favorite toy off a cliff.

"Oh…as you wish." And he ran off and placed the shard into a bowl of fire that was perched at the end of the throne room's hall.

What, did he really think that I was going to say something else? The fragments must be purified. Yes, I knew that only the true ruler of the Twilight could destroy the Mirror of Twilight, and so the Mirror of Twilight could only be healed by the true ruler of the Twilight as well. And I knew that burning the shard would not destroy it, but it would destroy the evil energy that was lurking inside of it. It was my duty as Princess to uphold the laws of balance and keep my people safe.

Well, now that I knew about the shards, I knew that I had to do something about this. If there were other fragments of the mirror, the evil that was inside of them was sure to still be around as well. And I knew well enough that wherever there was evil, Ganondorf was sure to follow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Kiss (Ilia)

I arrived in Hyrule Castle Town only two days after I had left my home in Ordon. It had now been five days since Link destroyed the evil that had taken over. The town was such a big place with all sorts of people hustling and bustling about. There was talk amongst all of the people, and even small dogs were scampering about. It was absolutely amazing. No wonder Link must have loved adventuring so much; he got to see such wonderful places and meet so many wonderful people.

There were three girls chatting incessantly about some boy over across the way from me and Lilly. "He's so handsome!" one of them squealed.

"He's amazing!" cried another.

I asked them who they were speaking of.

"He's the new head of the Hylian Guards! He's so young! And handsome! And brave! And…and he was also the former champion of the star game! And…!"

Then another girl interrupted her. "There's talk that he's the one who trashed the evil guy who was summoning up all of those nasty orcs and such up! You know, the guy who kicked Ganondorf's sorry butt! He's so strong!"

I sat there, wondering who this Ganondorf person was. I had never in all of my life heard of such a man.

The other girl started to speak again. "Yeah, but _I_ heard from my uncle that Ganondorf isn't really dead. My uncle Shad is some kind of nerdy scholar or something like that, and he says that Ganondorf is never gone. In fact, he says that he's still alive right now, just waiting to get revenge on the children of destiny, whatever that means. Speaking of which, I don't even know who Ganondorf is. But if that really cute boy kicked his butt, he must have been evil!"

"Well, he's gone for now," retorted the other girl. "And even if he were to come back tomorrow, I'm sure that Link could thrash him again!" and then the group of girls smiled, pulled their hands up to their mouths, and squealed in delight.

Ganondorf was the name of the man that caused all of the trouble? He was the one who separated me from Link? If he ever came back, I would make sure that it was I who killed him this time around. All the more reason for me to train with the sword.

I wandered through the town until I found a stable. I dismounted Lilly and took the sword and shield with me. I asked for directions to get into the castle, and showed that I had a notice saying that I was allowed in to make a delivery. One of the guards pointed me in the right direction, and I quickly found myself in Hyrule Castle Courtyard.

I could hardly believe my eyes. Everything was so huge…and so beautiful. It looked like a battle had taken place up top because of the broken areas of the wall, but other than that, the magnificence was flawless.

I quickly made my way into the castle, and walked through the halls in order to get to the throne room. There were two flights of stairs that I had to climb, but they didn't tire me out one bit. I admired the beautiful tapestries that aligned the walls. I pushed open the doors to the throne room, and took in a deep breath as I stepped in and closed the door behind me.

When I entered the throne room, I found Link, holding the hand of the Princess and kissing it, and kneeling before her, his eyes full of joy. It looked like he had proposed to her. I didn't even stop to think for a moment.

My heart felt like it had been torn into a thousand pieces, and then those pieces were torn a thousand more times as my eyes filled to the brim with hot tears. My stomach lurched, and I felt as though I was about to throw up. I raised my hands to my mouth to muffle my moans of anguish.

"What did you see?" asked the princess in a commanding tone as soon as she heard my cries of pain.

Link turned his head and saw me as soon as he heard what the princess had said, stood up off of the ground, and opened his mouth as if to say something to me. But he never spoke. He had never spoken a word to me, what would make now any different from then? He reached out his arm to me as if to call me back. But I would have none of it. I dropped the sword and the shield to the ground, and I turned tail and ran right out the door.

How could I be so stupid? Of course he didn't love me! We were only friends! We've only ever been friends! The princess was more than enough competition for me, I could never be as beautiful, noble, rich, or graceful as her. My salty tears burned my eyes more than they ever had before. Why had I gotten my hopes up? Why couldn't I accept that he wasn't ever going to come back to me? Why, why, why?

I wound up in the southern expanse outside of Hyrule Castle Town. I knelt down by the fountain and wept, the cold air sending chills throughout my entire body, but I did not care. I didn't care about anything except for Link. Link, who probably wanted nothing to do with me now after the show that I had just put on. Who probably thought of me less now even than a mere friend.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little, because I was startled, but I didn't turn around. I just kept on crying. Then, whoever it was turned me around and embraced me with their warm, strong arms. I opened my eyes, only to discover that Link was the one who was holding me so close. I pulled back from him and wiped my tears. Of course he cared about me a little, we've been friends longer than either of us can remember, but what happened next, I never would have imagined.

He looked deep into my eyes and wiped away the tears that remained underneath them. He wrapped one arm around my waist and tilted my head back with the other. I looked around to see that no one was watching. My mouth opened on impulse. I muttered, "But what about the princess?" Before I knew it, his soft lips descended upon my own, and we shared a tender kiss…our first kiss. And it was in this kiss that I knew Link was offering his full self to me. I held on to him as tight as I could, afraid that he would disappear if I loosened my grip even a little.

"I don't love her," he said after we broke away from each other. Although I swore that I must have been imagining things, because his voice was so soft, and he had never spoken to me before. Well, whatever the case, I smiled and hugged him, dipping in for another kiss.

When we finally released each other from the kiss, I whispered into his long, pointed ear, "I love you."

He smiled and nodded at me in return. He didn't need to say anything for me to understand that he loved me too. He knew that I could understand his speechless expressions, which was precisely why he never spoke.

We embraced each other once more, and then he handed me his cloak. After all, I was sleeveless and barefoot, and the Hylian nights were cold. He led me back into the castle so that I could finally make the delivery that had taken so long to be carried out. The princess thanked me personally, but then she motioned for everyone to leave the room except for me.

When everyone had cleared out, she said, "He's the head knight of Hyrule. You should be very proud of him, and feel lucky to have him in your life."

"What are you getting at, your highness?"

"I can tell by the way you reacted when you saw him with me earlier that you and him go way back. Friends I presume? Or perhaps even more than that?"

I couldn't help but to blush and shy my face away from her when she said this. I felt as though I had committed some kind of crime for being in love with Link.

"I'll also have you know that you were jumping to conclusions. I had just briefed him on current events. Important events. What was it you thought he was doing?"

"Nothing," I lied. My face turned an even deeper shade of red. I felt like such a fool right now.

"You're words ring of falsehood." Her eyes flared up, but then returned to their natural serene form. "It matters not to me. However, I have a request of you. You are training in the arts of the sword, am I wrong?" she smiled gently at me, in a gesture of friendliness. This was one princess who could control her emotions at will. I have to say I envied that little quality of hers.

"How did you know?" I asked, trying to find my voice, which was drowning in shame at the moment. I brought my head up and tried to look her in the face again. I couldn't show my weakness to her. She was my rival.

"I could tell by the way you held the sword as you handed it over. Do you know what that equipment was for?"

"No, your highness."

"I'll tell you after I tell you my offer. I would like you to be one of the royal guards."

"You want me to be a royal guard? But you've only just met me. You don't even know my name. I don't even like to fight."

"I do know your name, Ilia. You do want to stay close to Link, don't you?"

I jumped a little as she said my name. Had Link told her? But…he never spoke. I shook off the feeling of awkwardness. However, this time, her words got to me. I figured that he wouldn't be returning home any time soon, or perhaps at all for that matter, and the only way that I was possibly going to see him was if I were to stay here. And the only way I could stay here was if I was employed under the princess. I kneeled down on one knee and bowed my head to her. "I accept." I couldn't believe myself, bowing to my rival like that.

She took her sword and knighted me, saying the whole knight's oath as I repeated her. And then she told me to stand up. "The equipment was for a new member of the guards, but he died during the infiltration of the castle. And now, since you are the one taking his place, I give this gift to you." And she handed me the Ordon Sword and Shield. "Your first mission is to join Link in his quest to find a way into the Twilight Realm." This was an odd coincidence, I thought.

"Twilight Realm?" I asked. I had never even heard of such a thing.

"I'll brief you on your mission later. Right now, however, I believe you should get your rest. I've prepared a room for you on the upper levels."

"But how did you-"

"It doesn't matter. Please, rest up. Your briefing will be first thing in the morning. Report down here at six thirty sharp. Breakfast will be provided. Please, enjoy your sleep." And then she curtseyed to me and sent me on my way.

"She's got to be telepathic or something," I said to myself. "That…wouldn't be good though…Well; it looks like I'm off on an unknown adventure once again. I might as well enjoy it since I'm with Link." Just as I was about to open the door that one of the guards had instructed me to go to, Link opened it from the inside first. He was shirtless, revealing his strong chest and arms. I couldn't help but blush. He was more handsome than I had remembered.

He laughed and then let me in. Something inside of me told me that something wasn't right. Was this really Link's room? Or had he just gone in to straighten things out? I guess there were some things that I couldn't find out from his silent ways. He walked passed me and into the room next door.

I was so relieved that as soon as I flopped down on the plush bed the princess had provided me, I drifted into an uneasy sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a _very_ big day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Kiss (Link)

Why did I kiss her? Ilia is just a friend to me! I can't believe I did that. It was a true kiss, and I was giving all of myself to her, but I love you, Midna. I can't face you now. I can't face what I did to you. I can't face what I did to Ilia. I think…I think I'm in love with both of you. And worse still, I think Zelda has a thing for me, though I can't say I like her the same way. Oh, Midna, please help me. Please help me choose the right path. I love you. But why did I kiss Ilia?

I sat awake in my bed. I know I hurt her, and I'm sorry. I was sorry, and that's probably what urged me to do it. But when I kissed her, I wanted so much more. I wanted her to want so much more. It was more than just a kiss of friendship; there was passion in it as well. When I kissed her, I was afraid. I was afraid of what was going through my mind as I did it. It was the same feeling I got when I had first transformed into a wolf…

But I wanted to share my first kiss with you.

I heard a knock on my door, and so I got up to answer it. It was Ilia. I could feel the heat rising to my face. "Ilia, you idiot!" I screamed in my head. "After what I did to you, there's no telling what the beast in me might do this time!" Look, I know she's always had a thing for me, and I suppose that if I had never met you, I might be fully willing to love her in return. But I didn't. Because I don't love her the same way that I love you.

"Link, I can't sleep. Can I stay with you?" she pleaded. Her hair was down and draped around her shoulders, and she wore a knee-length white nightgown. I felt my hands start to pulse. _Damn it, this is exactly what happened last time. Ilia, go away before I do something stupid again, please, I'm begging you._

But I nodded my head and let her in, shutting the door and locking it behind her. I cursed myself all the while. She sat down on my bed and curled up on top of the covers. I went over and sat down next to her. She traced her fingers along my muscles and up my arm. I was starting to feel all tingly inside and out.

But then I heard your voice in my head, Midna. "What are you doing, Link?" your voice called out to me in my mind. Your face suddenly appeared in my head, and I snapped into reality. I backed off of my bed and broke into a cold sweat, pushing Ilia's soft hands away.

"Link, are you alright?" she gasped. She got on the ground with me and felt my forehead. _Still the same old Ilia, always worried about others_ I said to myself. _But you need to leave. I don't know how much longer I can control myself._ Being a wolf hadn't just changed my outer appearance, but over time, part of me reverted to an animal instinct. In the past, I could have resisted this urge, but the beast in me was tearing out at an alarming rate. I didn't know how much longer I could hold out. I was fighting a battle where, for the very first time in my entire life, I wasn't sure that I could win.

But I couldn't give in again. I was still having trouble over forgiving myself for what I had done earlier. Help me, anybody. I can't do this to you, Midna. I can't do this to Ilia. I can't make my hands stop!

But it was too late. The door to my room was closed and locked; there was no one there to stop us. I grabbed Ilia and pushed her down onto my bed. I had her arms pinned down with my arms, and her legs pinned down with my legs. I tried to fight the feeling, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't do it. Your face pushed into my mind, urging me to stop, but Ilia's was there as well, pleading for me to keep going. "Someone please stop me," I whispered. Tears pushed their way into my eyes, but there were too few of them to fall. I pushed my face down into hers, kissing her with a fiery passion. I couldn't stop myself, her lips felt so good against mine.

Ilia looked up to me half in surprise and half like she wanted whatever it was my body wanted to do to her. Her eyes were glazed over with desire instead of the pure innocence that they once knew. I couldn't stand to see her like this. I couldn't bear to do this to her. I pulled out of the kiss and tried to pull myself off of her, but my body would not listen to me.

"Link…" Ilia moaned. There was fear in her voice. "Stop, Link…" But there was also desire in it. The part of me that was the beast was fed by the fear in her voice, and it honed in on the desire, ready to go for the kill.

It was then that I actually spoke. For the first time in my entire life, I spoke to Ilia. "Help me…stop me from doing this…please…" I managed to move my arms off of hers. I was giving her a chance to fight back. I needed her to take this opportunity.

She somehow knew exactly how to subdue me. Where she learned it, I'll never know. She reached up her arms and wrapped them around my neck, pulling my face down to hers for another kiss. Her lips pressed gently against mine as I melted into it, and I relaxed all of my muscles. It was a different kind of kiss than I had given her; I couldn't explain it really, but I could tell that it was less from desire and more from affection. Ilia could then push me off of her. Who knew that a kiss was all it took to slay a beast?

"I'm so sorry, Link, this is all my fault," she said. I just looked at her with empty eyes, breathing heavily. She had never seen me like this before. It was true, I was like an animal. And I was truly sorry. Sorry to Ilia, and sorry to you. But instead of leaving, Ilia crawled over next to me and put her face on my chest.

"Stop…" I whispered.

"You and I both know that you don't really want me to stop," she said to me.

"Please…" I added, equally in a whisper. "I…"

But she shut my up with a kiss. I could feel her tongue tracing mine and her lips pressed against my own. She was lucky that my body was so immobile, or else something really bad could have happened that night.

But the picture of your face was with me the whole time, Midna, taunting me for being unable to control myself for the second time, and if not for that, I may not have been able to keep back the beast this time around. I'm sorry, Midna, I truly am. But I also have to thank you. Thank you for using your powers, even after we have been separated, even if it is just part of my own imagination, to keep the wolf sealed away.

I promise that I will find a way to return to you and apologize to your face. You don't deserve to have this kind of disrespect, and I intend to make up for it with all of my heart. I drifted to sleep, with Ilia next to me, still touching my face tenderly, and then woke up at the first hint of dawn.

I shook Ilia awake. I secretly thanked the goddesses that she was still in her nightgown and that she hadn't been stupid enough to take it off. She woke up and smiled at me. I felt a pang it my heart at the memory of what I had done to her last night.

She nodded her head, understanding my silent apology. She then got up and left my room, closing the door softly behind her so as not to alert the other guards.

I quickly followed suit, and got dressed in my new Hylian armor. It was red with golden armor that matched the princess's armor. I was very proud at having earned this, because it showed that I could really handle the job that Zelda had appointed me with. And it helped me to feel like I was in control.

I opened the door to find Ilia standing there. She was dressed in a short white dress tied tightly around her body with black leather ropes, and with golden armor that matched mine and the princess's. She wore the same kind of head ornaments that adorned Princess Zelda's, except that the jewel was red instead of blue. She wore long boots adorned with golden plating as well that reached up to her thighs. Her arms were covered with white gloves and golden wrist guards. She looked like a warrior princess, especially with the shield and sword equipped to her back.

But a warrior's spirit was not there. She was still just the innocent girl who had come to make a delivery to the castle. Well, mostly innocent. After what had happened last night, I wasn't so sure of it anymore. She had no way of knowing that she was going to get her first kiss, become my assistant knight-in-training, and then almost lose something precious to her best friend.

I took her hand in mine out of brotherly love, despite whatever type of love I had felt for her last night, and led her back down the stairs and into the throne room. Princess Zelda was sitting there in her throne, waiting patiently for us. She saw us and smiled.

"You're early," she said. "I expected you to take a little more time to rest since you have such a gargantuan task ahead of you." There was something hinted in her voice that implied that she meant something else by what she was saying, and I couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Did she know what the two of us had been up to last night? The mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

And then Ilia spoke. "That's right; tell me about this Twilight Realm. What is it, and why do we have to find it?"

"Oh, yes, the realm of the Twilight…" began Princess Zelda. She then told her the entire story of the use of the Mirror to send a rebellious shadow people into the other world, the imprisonment of Ganondorf, the death of a sage, how Ganondorf was sent into the Twilight Realm, how he came upon Zant, how Zant almost destroyed both worlds by merging them together, and all about the Twilight Princess…you, Midna, and how you shattered the Mirror of Twilight. And my heart along with it, though Zelda failed to mention that little bit.

Ilia could see the look in my eyes as Zelda spoke about you, Midna. Ilia could tell that I felt something towards you, though I'm not too sure if she knew exactly what. I could see the hurt in her eyes as she saw the regret in mine. I shook away the feeling of uneasiness that I had.

When Zelda finished retelling the story, Ilia announced that she was ready to take on her mission.

"You are to go with Link, your trainer, to the Arbiter's ground and search for any shards of the Mirror of Twilight. Though a normal human could not see them, Link was once more than that. He should at least be able to sense if a shard is nearby. If you find anything, report back to me immediately."

We both saluted to her, and within moments, Ilia's horse, which remarkably resembled Russl's horse, Lilly, and Epona were brought to us as we were brought to the front gates. We saddled up and mounted our mares, and we were off in no time.

This was it, Midna. I was going to find a way to see you again. I was going to find a way to bring you back, even if it killed me.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Duties (Zelda)

Alright, it's not like I don't know what's going on between those two. Ilia and Link, I mean. Anyone with Hylian hearing could have heard what they were up to last night. No, I am not jealous. I'm worried. That girl has no self control. At least from what I've observed of her, anyways. The last thing we need is a knight on maternity leave. And as for Link…I fear that the wolf he once was is taking over him. Things are not looking well for my knights as of now. I almost regret my decision of knighting the two of them so hastily.

I guess you could say I like him. But it's far from love. I barely even know him. I mean, sure, he is the chosen hero, bearer of the Triforce of Courage, he saved me from Ganondorf, helped me defeat Ganondorf, freed my country from the dark malice of the tainted twilight, and restore the balance to Hyrule. And according to the townsfolk, he's apparently a champion at various attractions throughout Hyrule. Who couldn't fall for a guy like that? And he was handsome to boot. And good with a sword. But I was not in love with him.

I'm sitting here in my throne-room now as I speak. I should be out with Link and Ilia, to help search for the shards. Unfortunately, I have my duties to attend to within my palace. You know, paperwork, signing documents, validating horse-ownership licenses. Mostly boring, yet necessary work to keep the country going…but I still feel like I should be out there, fighting for a chance to restore the mirror.

It is just as much of my burden as theirs, if not more so. Ilia barely even knows what she is doing. She's only throwing herself into danger because she is clouded by love. But at least I had a connection to the Twilight. I had a connection to you, Midna.

But first I feel as though I must clarify something with you. I bet you think it's strange, how Link and I are always speaking to you in our minds. I know Link does because I can hear him. But for me to always be speaking as if it were to you, I have come to love you as a sister. I miss you, Midna, even though it has only been a short while since your departure. I can not bear to think that we may never see one another again. I hope you know that I hold your promise close to my heart for always. You said it yourself. "See you later."

A few of my guards strutted into the throne room "Your Highness," one of them began.

I looked up at him, putting my quill pen down and setting my paperwork aside. "Speak."

"We have found a very strange object in one of the knight's quarters."

"Who's quarters?"

"Sir Robert, Your Highness. He found it on his pillow beside his head this morning."

"And why did you not tell me of this sooner?"

"Your Highness, please forgive our procrastination. But we have sent the object to numerous scientists in order to run tests on it. It appears to have a high concentration of ancient magic, and even our most skilled mages can not decipher its makeup."

"Send it here, make it quick. I wish to see this object of which you speak."

With that, the knight scurried from the room as quick as his heavy armor would allow him. He quickly came back with two other knights, and a mage. The mage was holding a small, shimmering shard in his gloved hand. "Your Highness," he said.

"Is that the object you spoke of?" I asked him, straining to get a closer look at the tiny shard.

"Yes, indeed it is. Though we haven't the slightest notion as to what it is. We were wondering if, since you are wiser than we, you could shed some light on this matter?"

Finally, a break from this tiresome paperwork. I rose from my seat and walked over to the mage. I picked the shard up with my left hand, and then I began to feel a cold, chilling sensation move up my arm and diffuse into the rest of my body. I let out a small, sharp gasp as I felt the sheer power emanate from this single shard of…whatever it was a shard of. Slowly, my entire body became cold and numb. The Triforce symbol on my hand began to glow, fighting off the cold that had seeped through my body, replacing a fraction of the heat that had escaped from me.

"Your Highness?"

I lifted the shard up to my face, to get a closer look. My entire being filled with a mixture of surprise, fear, and excitement as I saw the flicker of shadow dance within the fragment. I now knew what this was…and why no one else could figure out what it was. It was a fragment of the Twilight Mirror.

I understand why you broke the mirror, I was in on the big secret with you, remember? But that does not mean that it makes sense to me. I could not hear your thoughts as you left us, but I knew your heart. You loved him just as much as Ilia does now. How could you leave him like that? Didn't you realize that he loves you? And I know that the mirror was seeped in evil, but shattering it was not going to stop it from getting out. Shattering it was only going to slow it down.

"Thank you for showing me this. I will keep it, if that is not going against any of your plans."

"Not at all, Your Highness, we brought it to you precisely so that you could keep an eye on it. We trust you over anyone else in this castle anyways, even over each other."

"Thank you. Now, if you see any more of these shards, bring them to me as soon as possible. No hesitation, no procrastination. It is of utmost importance, do you understand? If you discover one in an area, scout the vicinity for another. If no other shard is present, make haste to bring the shard in your possession to me."

"Understood, Your Highness."

"You are dismissed," I finished, politely waving them off with a flick of my wrist. They slowly left the room in single file, and in silence. I could sense their relief at the fact that I knew what the mysterious magical object was, even though I hadn't told them. And I wasn't even planning on telling them, for that matter, either.

As I placed the shard down upon my desk, the cold left my body altogether. I began to contemplate why a piece of the Mirror was inside of these castle walls. I remembered the Mirror when it was still whole…

But now that our connection has been severed, we can not fight together against the age-old evil. And what will we do when Link can not fight? In my dreams I have seen that he will become a wolf once more, only this time, he will not have you to fight upon his back. I do not know if the wolf will take over his heart, or his entire body. Either way, he will be lost to us both. He will be lost to both worlds, and the three of us who share a bond with him that is stronger than anything. Ilia has his friendship. I hold a piece of the Triforce, as does he. And you, Midna, share a bond with him stronger than Ilia and I combined. You have his love.

And I have a shard of the mirror. This means I am one step closer to finding you once more. I must wonder, however, have you found shards of the mirror in your realm as well? Are you dreaming of restoring the very portal you destroyed for the soul purpose of being reunited with Link and I one last time? I would soon find out.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Riding, Riding, Sudden Stop (Ilia's Perspective)

And so we had left the vicinity of Hyrule Castle Town, leaving Princess Zelda to her duties, mounted upon our two trusty mares.

You know, I never realized how strange that sounds. Usually it is "trusty steed," but both Lilly and Epona are females, so I kind of have to use the word "mare." Alright, this is really beside the point.

Anyways, I was riding through Hyrule field with Link. The wind was blowing through our hair. It felt so good, like the wind could stop time everywhere in the world except for around us. Just for a few moments of avoiding interruption, if nothing more.

I smiled at him, but he seemed so preoccupied. The smile quickly dropped away from my face. Ever since Zelda had spoken of this "Twilight Princess" Link has had a strong look of determination in his eyes; that determination that he gave me once before when he had protected me and the others on our way to Kakariko for the very first time. Back when I had lost my memory of him.

But why was this princess so important to him? It wasn't like he had been close to her or anything, right? I mean, he traveled all over Hyrule, and the Twili people could only live in darkness…right? Could it be that Link…perhaps had feelings for her? No, I must be imagining things. How could he even know of this princess? Unless…he had gone into the darkness…no, what a silly thing to think, something like that isn't even possible.

"Link," I began. He just kept on staring forward, although he did nudge his head to the side to acknowledge that I had spoken, so I continued to speak.

"I missed you."

Silence.

"Why didn't you come back to Ordon? We were all so worried about you. Well, at least Uli and I were. And Colin and the other kids…"

Still no answer.

"Fado has been having a lot of trouble with the goats; as usual…he's been waiting for you to come back so he has an assistant again…"

Link sighed. I admit, that probably wasn't anything new. Fado always had trouble with the goats. And I'm sure everyone knew that already. And Link would probably hang out with the princess than herd Fado's goats anyways. Wait, what am I saying? Link isn't like that…Link isn't so self-centered like that.

"I came looking for you."

He nodded in response. He didn't even give me a glance. I was starting to feel neglected. Was this strange princess of the twilight so important to him? More important than I was to him? Just what is it with him and princesses?

"So…about what happened last night…" I began, wanting to know exactly what had gone on. Link had been so out-of-character it was almost scary. But then again, he was almost an adult. It's just that I had always thought he had more self-control than that. I've always known him to think before he acted…but now…something must be wrong. He was…almost like an animal. Almost like…a wolf…

No, what am I saying? Link is nothing like that. This was…as much as I hate to admit it, I suppose it was partially my fault. I wanted him to do it. Well, part of me wanted it. The other part of me was just curious to see why the other side of me wanted it. And another side of me still was afraid of it. All of that together made this all so much more…I don't know, fiery for lack of a better word. All that heat, and passion, and lust, all mixed in together inside of a pot of broiling misunderstanding. Neither of us knew or understood exactly what we were getting into.

"But what about when you kissed me? By the fountain?"

He blushed when I brought this up, probably from shame, and his eyes eased, becoming sorrowful and filled with regret. I could tell that he was pleading for forgiveness. But it was not an apology that I was after. It was an answer. I didn't want him to feel shame for what he did; I wanted him to tell me why the hell it happened. I needed him to.

"Why did you do it?" Okay, that was an admittedly stupid question, but it needed answering nonetheless.

He shied his face away from mine. Then he made Epona speed up. So I sped Lilly up. He wasn't going to avoid me that easily. I watched as we sped passed the plains and the hills, racing each other. I was starting to feel slightly dizzy from the speed.

"If you can't tell me why, then at least tell me if you meant it."

Link's eyes filled with shame. I suddenly felt very selfish and rude for asking this. The whole time, he was trying to apologize; I should have known that he didn't mean to do that. Though somewhere deep inside of me, I wished he had. My heart sank lower than it ever had before as I realized just how much I was hurting him. I quickly tried to change the subject. I cleared my throat.

"So…why did the princess want us to help reforge the Mirror of Twilight anyways? What's so important about it?" Even if I wasn't a little bit jealous about anything, I was still curious. After all, even her highness Princess Zelda acted as if the very object was what was holding the fabric of the universe together. It's got to be pretty important for someone so wise to believe something like that so strongly, right?

His reply was but a single word. "Midna."

My heart sank. Midna? Who on earth is Midna? The Twilight Princess? If this whole journey is just so Link and Zelda can see this Midna person, princess, whatever she may be, I'm going to feel so used…I would have been so used! But then again, what if this Midna person had some kind of magic powers? What if she really did hold the balance of the universe in check? Of course, I don't really believe that one single person could possess such power, but anything could happen, right?

I mentally sighed. I didn't feel like questioning things anymore. I had a major headache, and I had had it with all of this nonsense about everything. No more Twilight Mirror…no more dwelling on what happened last night…no more Twilight Princess…no more Midna.

The rest of our ride was silent. For a while, the uncomfortable silence surrounded the both of us. Where silence was once a sign of peace between us, it was now an ominous reminder of how we were only pushing each other apart by continuing with this love affair.

I decided to take in the scenery that was around me so I could forget about my troubles for the time being. There was no way I was going to dwell on this any longer. And since Link apparently had no objections, not like he ever did anyways because I always seem to be the assertive on in this relationship, I was just going to sit there and let my eyes have their fill.

I had never noticed that the world outside of Ordon was so beautiful. Green was everywhere, and there were huge mountains and canyons and cliffs sprinkled across the wide expanse of land. In the distance, I could see a huge, stone bridge that led to someplace else. Maybe a separate province or something. We were quickly approaching that bridge…which happened to stretch across a vast lake. A _really_ vast lake. The body of water itself must have been over twice the size of Ordon Village! And then the land surrounding it…it must have been at least the size of Ordon if it could be all clumped together into one mass.

In the middle of my observations, I was suddenly awoken from my daydreams of comparison. We suddenly stopped, Epona careening to a halt, and Link was about to fall off of her, hanging on only by a single hand. I quickly stopped Lilly. Epona neighed frightfully and urgently.

"What is it?" I asked, hopping down from Rusl's horse and helping Link down from Epona.

Epona kicked the dirt furiously in one area. Link went over to investigate. He sat down; nudging Epona's hoof away, and began to brush away the dirt. Within a few short moments, he was holding something small, black and shining in his hands. It glimmered faintly in the sheen of the sunlight.

"What is it?" I repeated. I was becoming nervous. What was so significant that Epona had to come to a sudden halt? I mean, it was so unexpected that Link nearly fell off of her, and he's practically the best horseback rider ever.

"This," he replied with a single word, his eyes gleaming with excitement. This was the first time I've seen him so excited about anything, besides that time I got my memory back. I couldn't help but feel happy for him. But a little hint of jealousy was bubbling up inside me as well. I pushed it down before it became noticeable.

Then he began to speak again. Was he actually continuing a conversation with me? Was this a turning point in his willingness to speak?

"It's a fragment of the Twilight Mirror."

So _this_ is what we were looking for…


End file.
